Countywide Purge Your Pills Drop Off Event Nets Over 245 lbs. of Pharmaceuticals!

A collaboration between StandUP Polk and its coalition partners, Haines City Police Department, Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Waste Resource Management, Publix Super Markets, Inc., S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together), Winter Haven Police Department and City of Winter Haven, to collect unused and expired prescription medication was a great success! The first countywide household medication collection event, held last Saturday, March 20, 2010, resulted in an estimated 245.5 lbs. of recovered pharmaceuticals.

The 11-bags of medications, collected from various drop off sites including the Haines City Police Dept., Lakeland Police Dept., Polk County Waste Resource Management, and Winter Haven Police Dept., were delivered and dumped into the McKay Bay Incinerator in Tampa.

The coalition partners recognize the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and planned the event for two very important reasons - to help Polk County residents properly dispose of old and unused prescription medications in a safe way that would not be harmful to the environment, and to help reduce prescription drug abuse by decreasing the availability of expired or unwanted medications. The coalition will be meeting soon to plan future pill drop events, as well as discuss the possibility of establishing permanent pill drop off venues.

Prescription medication has become one of the fastest-growing abused drugs of adults and especially teens, who report finding painkillers, stimulants, depressants, and other medications to abuse right in their own family medicine cabinet. Preventing youth from gaining access to prescription and over-the-counter drugs is one way to prevent and stop this epidemic. Parents should also talk with their children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

StandUP Polk, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, is a group of individuals, key community and business leaders working as the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk to take a stand against drugs. Concerned citizens are encouraged to join this important initiative and take part in monthly meetings. It will take an overall communitywide effort to bring about positive change for Polk County. For more information, please call Angie Ellison at InnerAct Alliance at (863) 802-0777.